'I like working with robots': Southwestern Ontario Amazon facility shipping 250,000 units per day thanks to AI technology

It’s a humming operation.

The Amazon Fulfillment Centre ‘YXU1’ is fully operational in Southwold Township, just south of London, Ont.

“We've launched the site back in October and the last three months we have more than 1,000 employees working at the site,” said Jockey Johnson, Amazon senior operations manager. “This holiday season we have been shipping close to 250,000 units every day from the site. We are glad to see that we are shipping a lot of toys and gifts, purses, books, electronic gadgets to our customers in and around St. Thomas or London area.”

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The 2.8 million-square foot facility has four floors of employees working hand-in-hand with robots and artificial intelligence (AI).

“These screens are my best friend at Amazon,” said Manvir Kaur, who moved from Brampton, Ont. to help launch the site after working for nearly four years at the company. “These screens will describe everything about the product, how it travels and the details of the product. It’s all on the screen.”

Manvir Kaur scanned an item at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Southwold Township, just south of London, Ont. on Dec. 19, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)In packaging, Zara Fahkr is a new Canadian from Iran, living in London.

“I like working with the robots,” said Fahkr. “I heard about this place from my friends, and I like the work because it’s very fast, and I like the access to laptop technology.”

It’s a complicated and complex process from the packages arrival, to unboxing, sorting, packaging and shipping.

However, the combination of humans working with robots allow people to shop from the comfort of home this holiday season.

Zara Fahkr placed a label on an box at the Amazon Fulfilment Centre in Southwold Township, just south of London, Ont. on Dec. 19, 2023. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)